Ground Plot

DOCUMENTATION

Data Dictionary

The NFI Ground Plot Data Dictionary describes the structure of the NFI ground plot database and documents the definition, format and reporting rules for each attribute within.

Data Dictionary Version 5.2.3 (PDF, 2.66MB)

Ground Plot Guidelines

Describes the recommended field sampling procedures for the establishment and ongoing measurement of NFI ground plots.
Version 5.0 (PDF, 3.65MB)

National Standards for Ground Plots Compilation Procedures

This document outlines the equations and rules that have been developed to compile the NFI ground plot raw data.
Version 2.4 (PDF, 1.47MB)

Customized Spatial Climate Models for North America

The climate data reported for NFI ground plots are generated using spatial climate models developed for Canada and the United States by researchers at Natural Resources Canada's Canadian Forest Service, in collaboration with the Australian National University, Environment Canada, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This article, which was published by the American Meteorological Society in 2011, outlines the methods used to generate those models.